After Xu Bai spoke those words, the violent aura brewing within Wang Qiupo suddenly subsided into stillness.
His somewhat cloudy eyes stared fixedly at the excessively handsome cultivator before him as his mind turned over the three words: "Heaven-Overturning Society."
Wang Qiupo naturally knew this name.
Previously, he had received a secret order from the Five Elders Association instructing him to quietly investigate information regarding this organization. He had committed considerable resources, yet in the end, he unearthed nothing at all. Even the name itself had never been heard by anyone.
It had left Wang Qiupo suspecting at one point that the organization had gotten the target's name wrong when transmitting the message.
Afterward, the matter had fizzled out with nothing to show for it.
Until today, when this young cultivator claiming to be a member of the Heaven-Overturning Society suddenly appeared before him.
"He not only knows my identity as a spy, but is even crystal-clear about my physical condition...
"It seems a traitor must have emerged within the organization."
As one of the most outstanding spies still surviving in the Five Elders Association, this was Wang Qiupo's immediate thought.
After all, the news that his lifespan was drawing to an end had only recently been sent out, with the intention of having the organization coordinate with his death to make a calculated move.
Wang Qiupo had remained within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals for nearly eight hundred years, his early life entirely unremarkable and mediocre.
Only in the latter four hundred years, after the cultivators he had befriended in his youth began rising to prominence one after another, did he usher in the most glorious period of his career as a spy.
Over these years, the young cultivators joining the Alliance whom he had recommended numbered well over ten thousand!
This was partly due to his old friends agreeing to help out of sentimentality for past ties.
But even more so...
...it was because these people were, without exception, truly rare and outstanding young talents!
And this was precisely why, in the eyes of outsiders, he possessed a most eccentric temperament.
Unless they were peerless prodigies, he would never recommend them!
As a top-tier spy, Wang Qiupo knew intimately that planting sleeper agents in the enemy's camp might yield short-term gains, but any spy would inevitably face exposure one day. When that happened, all the operatives he had painstakingly nurtured over the years would be caught in a single sweep. Rising to high-ranking positions within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals required the settling of time, and these young spies would certainly never live to see that day. Even if an extraordinarily fortunate individual occasionally managed to rise meteorically through the ranks, whether they could steal critical intelligence remained uncertain. Thus, the harm this approach could inflict on the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals was exceedingly limited.
What Wang Qiupo intended to do was voluntarily expose his own spy identity before his death. Only then could he deal the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals a crushing blow!
Imagine: once the news broke that Wang Qiupo was actually a spy for the Five Elders Association, it would inevitably cause an uproar across the world.
And all the cultivators he had recommended over the centuries would unquestionably fall under suspicion!
Even if investigations could clear them of suspicion...
...still...
...would the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals dare take the risk and continue placing heavy trust in them? Who could guarantee they hadn't passed the screenings through some secret technique?
Under such misgivings, these cultivators—who originally had boundless prospects and could have served as the backbone across every division of the Alliance—would, even if spared their lives, inevitably be exiled to inconsequential posts and quietly sidelined.
The worthy would dejectedly depart, and the vacancies left behind would naturally be filled by mediocre fools.
This was the "Toxic Nail" plan that Wang Qiupo had plotted for eight hundred years.
Though merely a tiny nail, it could hollow out a piece of the Alliance's finest sinew and flesh.
This was also the absolute limit of what Wang Qiupo, with only a Golden Core cultivation, reckoned he could achieve.
Originally, the Toxic Nail plan was seamless and about to enter its final wrapping-up stage.
Never had he imagined that at this very juncture, an unexpected variable would emerge.
"Young man, what exactly do you mean? You might as well speak plainly," Wang Qiupo said evenly, probing.
Xu Bai smiled, coming straight to the point: "You are an undercover spy planted by the Five Elders Association, aren't you?"
Wang Qiupo narrowed his eyes and openly admitted, "Indeed!"
Such frankness was somewhat beyond Xu Bai's expectations.
Yet it changed nothing.
"There is no need for you to be nervous, Old Sir. If you know anything about our Heaven-Overturning Society, you should know that we are actually fellow travelers.
"We wish nothing more than for you to plunge the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals into ever greater chaos. Why would we ever expose you?" Xu Bai offered soothingly with a smile.
Just as Wang Qiupo was pondering this, Xu Bai suddenly wiped away his smile and took on a solemn expression. "Actually, I have come this time because I have a deal to make with you.
"Furthermore, it concerns a matter of grave importance. Fearing the risk of ordinary spies leaking the information, I sought you out directly."
Seeing how earnestly the young man spoke, Wang Qiupo's expression could not help but grow somber as well.
Yet, as a wily fox who had lived for eight hundred years, he certainly would not take Xu Bai's words at face value so easily.
He simply remained silent, waiting to see what game Xu Bai was playing.
However, Xu Bai's next words shocked him so thoroughly that he nearly snapped the bamboo cane in his grip.
"Are you aware that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is about to produce another Longevity Heavenly Venerable?" That was what Xu Bai said.
"What did you say?" No matter how deep his composure, upon abruptly hearing such earth-shattering news, Wang Qiupo's face drained of color.
"It seems you were not yet aware of this? That shouldn't be..." Xu Bai frowned.
Wang Qiupo took a deep breath, seemingly trying to discern the truth in Xu Bai's words.
Yet Xu Bai gave him no chance to think, tossing out one bombshell after another.
"We have already uncovered the principle this Heavenly Venerable inverted, and it is exceedingly bizarre.
"Previously, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals had only a single Dharma-Transmitting Heavenly Venerable, and your Five Elders Association could still trade blows with them on roughly equal footing. Now that the Alliance has gained another Heavenly Venerable...
"...you had best make preparations early.
"Presently, this Heavenly Venerable has not yet formally undergone Fixing Principles, so he can still participate in worldly struggles. It would be a shame if you were caught completely unprepared..."
Wang Qiupo's mind immediately plunged into turmoil.
Though he considered himself the Five Elders Association's most successful spy, when it came to the level of Longevity Heavenly Venerables, he knew exceedingly little.
Talk of inverting principles and Fixing Principles left him thoroughly bewildered.
However, if what this Heaven-Overturning Alliance cultivator said was true...
...then he had to report it to the organization as soon as possible.
Wang Qiupo glanced at Xu Bai once more.
As if guessing his thoughts, Xu Bai handed over a jade slip.
"As I said, I came to make a deal. I can disclose the detailed information regarding this Heavenly Venerable to you, but you must provide these items in return.
"The intelligence in our previous transactions was nowhere near as important as this. We haven't raised our price, which shows our sincere goodwill. After all, we're still counting on you to fight the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to the bitter end."
Xu Bai offered an odd smile, then gestured for him to proceed.
Wang Qiupo examined the jade slip first, and his pupils constricted sharply.
Chapter 713